o        What are Charter Schools?

o        What is the charter idea?

o        How did charters begin?

o        How long have charter schools been in existence in Texas?

o        How well are Charter Schools doing?

o        How is it different from a regular public school?

o        How is it same as a regular public school?

o        How long is the term of an open-enrollment charter?

o        Can a charter be revoked before its term expires?

o        How do students enroll in an open-enrollment charter school?

o       Is there a limit on the number of students that may be assigned to a classroom of an open-enrollment charter school?

o        Are open-enrollment charter schools required to admit children with special needs?

o        May a religious organization operate an open-enrollment charter school?

o        How is an open-enrollment charter schools funded?

o        Can open-enrollment charter schools accept donations?

o        What grade levels can an open-enrollment charter school offer?

o        Are there requirements concerning curriculum imposed on open-enrollment charter schools?

o        Are open-enrollment charter schools subject to credit for courses for high school graduation?

o        Are open-enrollment charter schools required to administer state achievement tests?

o        Are students of open-enrollment charter schools required to attend school for a certain number of days during a school year?

o        Are students of open-enrollment charter schools required to attend school for a certain number of hours each day?

o        Did you know?

What are Charter Schools?

·         Charter schools are tuition free, non-sectarian, and non-discriminatory in nature. 

·         Charter schools are public schools that foster educational competition and offer parental choice in education.  

·         Charter schools have a significant amount of autonomy and are free to create many innovations in educational and administrative practices.

·         Charter schools create competition between schools for students and through this healthy competition, improve the quality of education offered to all.

·         Charter schools tend to be smaller than traditional public schools; nationwide, the average enrollment in a charter school is about 250 students.  Nearly 60 percent of charter schools in the nation serve a population in which more than 40 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

·         Charter schools are designed and operated not by the local school district, but by groups of founders that includes parents, educators and community leaders.

·         Founders must obtain a charter-the specific contractual authority to run the charter school-from a sanctioning body established under state law.

·         Founders have a great deal of independence to decide the school's budget, staff, curriculum and teaching methods. In exchange for this independence, charter schools must meet high accountability and academic performance standards, and must successfully manage school finances and operations.  If charter schools don't perform, they are closed. That's greater accountability than is generally required of traditional public schools.

·         Charter schools offer opportunities to innovate and provide new and better services to students.  They are freed from some of the traditional bureaucracy and regulations that divert a school's energy and resources toward compliance rather than excellence.

·         Charter schools offer teachers a chance to work in innovative, autonomous schools that use new, or alternative research based teaching methods, philosophical approaches, assessments, and administrative practices not commonly available in traditional schools.

·         Each charter would have considerable freedom to hire faculty, create a distinctive curriculum and program, and establish special features that make sense to the faculty and families involved in the school.

·         There's no such thing as "a typical charter school."  That will be clear after spending just a few minutes reading the descriptions or visiting a few of the schools listed in this group.  Understanding the charter idea will help families and other interested people understand why there is so much difference among the schools.

What is the charter idea?

Briefly, it is that families should have free, public school options beyond what is offered by the local district.  This provides new options for families, and creates competition for school districts.

The charter idea builds on four fundamental American values:

• People should have a chance to carry out their dreams.

• Individuals have responsibilities, along with rights.

• Americans have freedom within some limits.

• Americans generally prefer choices to monopolies.

Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia have adopted the charter idea, producing more than 2700 charter schools in the United States.  All charter schools are free, and open to all students.  They do not have admissions tests.  Each charter has a contract (hence the name 'charter') with its sponsoring organization, outlining its goals, methods of measuring student progress, and what the school must do to have its contract renewed.  However, charter schools vary enormously in philosophy, size, curriculum, focus, method of instruction, and location.

How did charters begin?

Charter schools began in Minnesota in 1991 as a way to offer students a choice of new and different public schools.  Some parents and community members were dissatisfied with low test scores and high dropout rates in their children's public schools.  In response, legislators of both parties joined together to offer someone other than the local school board the opportunity to create and run public schools.  Legislators also felt that more choice can help improve existing schools.

How long have charter schools been in existence in Texas?

The Texas Legislature authorized the establishment of charter schools in 1995, and some of the "first generation" charter schools have been in operation since fall of 1996.

How well are Charter Schools doing?

In two words, "very well."  In just ten years, charter legislation has grown from one state (Minnesota) to 39 states and the District of Columbia.

The number of charters operating nationwide has grown from one in 1992 to almost 3,400 in 2004.  The movement has unleashed caring, talented committed educators and administrators around the nation.  The movement has attracted leaders and support from across the political spectrum, including George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and the current President George W. Bush.  It has also attracted veteran community activists like Rosa Parks, the civil rights legend, who recently requested permission to start a charter school in Detroit.

A number of charters have improved student achievement as measured by standardized tests and other forms of measurement.  The movement has encouraged many families who felt that their children could do better in a school with a different kind of learning environment.

The movement has stimulated a variety of improvements in school districts.  Some charters have won grants to help other schools replicate their successful approaches to helping students.

Source:

Information in this document comes from America's Charter School Finance Corporation's publication called The Charter School Experience, The Center for Education Reform (edreform.com/charter_schools), and Joe Nathan at the Center for School Change.

How is it different from a regular public school?

A regular public school is very big sometimes enrolling as many as 2,000 or more children.  Charter schools are much smaller in number and it is up to the charter holder to determine the number of student to enroll.  Due to the small class size, charter schools levy more control.  Charter schools tend to be smaller than traditional public schools; nationwide, the average enrollment in a charter school is about 250 students.

How is it same as a regular public school?

Same set of curriculum can be followed if desired. Same proven method of management can be adopted.  All facilities will be provided by the government as they are being provided to any other public school.

How long is the term of an open-enrollment charter?

The term for an open-enrollment charter is not set out in statute; however, the practice has been initially to grant open-enrollment charters for a five-year period and then to renew the charters for a ten-year period.

Can a charter be revoked before its term expires?

Yes.  The Commissioner may revoke the charter of an open enrollment charter school if he/she determines that the charter holder has:

a)     committed a material violation of the charter, including failure to satisfy accountability provisions prescribed by the charter;

b)     failed to satisfy generally accepted accounting standards of fiscal management;

c)     failed to protect the health, safety, or welfare of the students enrolled at the school; or

d)     failed to comply with Texas Education Code Chapter 12, Subchapter D or another applicable law or rule.

The Commissioner may also modify, place on probation, or deny renewal of a charter based on the above reasons.

How do students enroll in an open-enrollment charter school?

Each open-enrollment charter school must have an application period.  Each applicant must complete and submit an application within the application period that the school establishes.  On receipt of more acceptable applications for admissions than available positions, an open-enrollment charter school must, in most cases, fill the available positions by lottery.  An open-enrollment charter school that receives fewer applicants than available spaces does not need to conduct a lottery.

Is there a limit on the number of students that may be assigned to a classroom at an open-enrollment charter school?

Yes.  Although state statue does not establish a student-teacher ratio or class size for open-enrollment charter schools, these schools must adhere to the limitations contained in their charters.

Are open-enrollment charter schools required to admit children with special needs?

Yes.  Open-enrollment charter schools may not deny admission to a student based on national origin, ethnicity, disability, or academic ability.

May a religious organization operate an open-enrollment charter school?

While a religious or faith-based organization exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code may apply for an open-enrollment charter, the organization will be required to provide evidence at the SBOE interviews that it has established a separate nonsectarian nonprofit corporation to hold the charter if one is granted.

How is an open-enrollment charter schools funded?

The first grant that flows in after the school is approved is the start-up grant which is available to charter schools in their first three years of operation.  Up to 18 months of start-up grant money is available for planning before the charter school opens, and up to two years of implementation funds are available.  Charter schools in Texas are generally awarded up to $450,000 over the three years as start up grants.

Other funding in the form of Dissemination Grant, Special Education grant, Title Programs like “No Child left behind” grants are awarded at different stages of operation.

Charter schools also receive state funds based on the average daily attendance (ADA) of students.  ADA is calculated based on yearly attendance of the student.

Can open-enrollment charter schools accept donations?

Yes.  Open-enrollment charter schools may accept charitable donations from private sources and other public sources.  It can also apply for grants from foundations and corporations.

What grade levels can an open-enrollment charter school offer?

An open-enrollment charter school may offer instruction in one or more grades between pre-kindergarten and grade 12.

Are there requirements concerning curriculum imposed on open-enrollment charter schools?

Yes.  Open- enrollment charter schools are subject to some, but not all, of the curriculum requirements that apply to independent school districts.  For example, their educational programs must: include the curriculum required by Texas Education Code; implement reading diagnosis and accelerated reading instruction and adhere to the graduation standards.

Are open-enrollment charter schools subject to credit for courses for high school graduation may be earned only if a student received a grade that is the equivalent of 70 or above on a scale of 100?

Yes.  This rule is one of the graduation standards implemented under Texas Education Code to which open-enrollment charter schools are also implies.  Therefore, open-enrollment charter schools may only award credit for courses for high school graduation if a student received a grade that is the equivalent of a 70 or above on a 100-point scale.

Are open-enrollment charter schools required to administer state achievement tests?

Yes.  Open-enrollment charter schools are subject to the statewide assessment program to the same extent as other public schools.

Are students of open-enrollment charter schools required to attend school for a certain number of days during a school year?

No.  While other public schools must provide at least 180 days of instruction per school year, open-enrollment charter schools have the discretion to determine the length of their school year.  However, because open-enrollment charter schools receive funding based on average daily attendance, many of them provide at least 180 days of instruction per school year in order to receive full funding.

Are students of open-enrollment charter schools required to attend school for a certain number of hours each day?

No.  Open-enrollment charter schools are not subject to the seven-hour school day requirement that applies to other public schools.  However, a student must receive a minimum of four hours of instruction per day, exclusive of intermissions and recesses, in order for the student to be considered in attendance for a full day for funding purposes.

Did you know?

• That there are close to 3400 charter schools serving close to a million children across the country.
• For the 2004-05 school years, 400 new charter schools opened across 32 states – representing a dramatic 15 percent increase.
• The 2003 national report by the Brookings Institution shows that test scores at charter schools are rising sharply compared to conventional schools.
• A Harvard University study conducted in December 2004 finds that charter school students are more likely to be proficient in reading and math than students in conventional schools.
• Charter schools that have been open for significant periods of time boast even higher achievement rates; charter schools that have been operating for more than 5 years outpace conventional schools by as much as 15 percent.
• About 90,000 (2 percent) of Texas' 4.5 million public students attend 358 state- or district-approved charter school campuses